To tell if your car is being followed, look for signs of the vehicle following you can test this to see if your car is being followed by making several consecutive turns or changing your lane and speed.
And if the car or vehicle behind you makes the same turns and repeats your actions and remains behind you after the test, then it's a good indication that your vehicle or car is being followed.
Also observing if your car consistently mirrors your vehicles movements, like staying a set distance behind you through any turns and lane changes can indicate that your car is being followed.
On a city street, if you think you're being followed, make 4 right turns or 4 left turns in a row, and if the same vehicle is still behind you after your 4th turn, then you likely are being followed.
If on the highway and you think you're being followed, move to the right lane and then significantly drop your speed, then if the car or vehicle behind you remains the same as you change lanes and slow down, then it might be following you.
You can also drive through a roundabout if there's one and exit straight and if that other car follows you through the roundabout and exits behind you it can be a sign of you being followed, especially if that same vehicle has been behind you for awhile.
Another way to test if your car is being followed is to drive into a parking lot that is well lit and wait in your car with the engine running for around 15 seconds.
Then if the other car or vehicle also pulls into the lot and stops behind you then it's following you and not a coincidence and when you leave the parking lot and notice the same vehicle exits the parking lot shortly after you, then the vehicle is following you.
If you confirm you're being followed don't drive home as the person could follow you to your home or location.
If you can get the tag number, do so and call the police.
To tell if it's an undercover cop car, look for any signs of hidden lights in the grill or bumper, a spotlight on the driver side or even additional antennas.
Other indicators that the car may be an undercover cop car are lack of hubcaps, heavy tinted windows and even a squeaky clean, well maintained appearance, especially with models such as Ford Explorers and Dodge Chargers.
Sometimes but not always, an undercover cop car may have exempt plates or municipal plates, but some undercover cop cars may use regular license plates that are the same as a regular civilian license plate.
And some undercover cop cars may use fictitious or cold plates, which don't link to any real vehicle or person.
The reason why cops drive with their blue lights on but not flashing is for visibility and deterrence.
The practice of cops driving with their blue lights on but not flashing is called using "cruise lights".
The blue lights that cops drive with or "cruise lights" indicate an active police presence, without requiring drivers to yield or pull over as it does not signify an emergency or traffic stop.
The method of using cruise lights and driving with the blue lights on helps deter crime and makes the officers more visible, especially in areas that have high foot traffic or during night patrols.
Also using the steady blue lights instead of the flashing blue lights can also prevent a situation from escalating, like when assisting a stranded driver or responding to a call that might be sensitive.
The blue cruise lights are used by police in situations where an officer is on a low priority call or are just patrolling and is a way to show their presence without needing a full emergency response with the flashing lights and sirens.
If a cop is behind you and they have their steady blue lights on, you don't need to pull over or get out of the way because it's not an emergency and they are not pulling you over.
However if the cops blue lights start flashing and or you hear a siren you should pull over, because either they are trying to pull you over or they are needing you out of the way so they can respond to an emergency call.
Cops can also legally sit with their lights off at night and hide to observe traffic and catch people violating traffic laws.
The cop can legally hide to observe any traffic violations and the cop doesn't need to announce their presence before they initiate the stop.
This is not considered entrapment, as entrapment involves the police inducing you to commit a crime that you wouldn't have otherwise.
Most times though the police may hide without lights and only light you up when they get behind you.
If the police car is not marked, you can call 911 and let them know where you're at and confirm that it's an actual police officer pulling you over.
Cops also don't have to have their headlights on at night and cops can also legally hide with their headlights off and they can pull you over for violating laws, even though they are doing the same thing.
As long as the cop or police have reasonable suspicion of some regulatory violation or traffic violation, like a blown headlight or taillights, turn signal lights etc being out, the cop or police can pull you over.
The initial stop is often considered a low level stop, but it also gives the cop, the opportunity to look for other more serious violations like open containers or expired registration.
The officer also has discretion in how they handle the traffic stop, and it often comes down to the officer's judgement at the moment.